All in the Family
by suzie2b
Summary: But in name only.


**Disclaimer: **_**The Rat Patrol**_** is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

**Author's note: William Patrick "Willy" Stuart-Houston (originally Hitler) was the Irish-German nephew of Adolf Hitler. He was born to Adolf's half-brother Alois Hitler Jr. and his Irish wife Bridget Dowling in Liverpool, England. William Hitler later moved to Germany, but subsequently immigrated to the United States, where he served in the United States Navy as a Pharmacist's Mate in World War II. He eventually received American citizenship.**

**After being discharged from the Navy, William Hitler changed his surname to "Stuart-Houston".**

**To facilitate the story, Willy is a Corpsman with a U.S. army medical unit. Creative license is involved.**

**All in the Family**

**By Suzie2b**

**There had been no reported sightings of the enemy in the sector the convoy was moving through. However, a large German patrol had managed to sneak up on them and they were taking a beating.**

**One message had gotten out—a cry for help. That message was heard by the Rat Patrol as they took a break from their patrol in a wadi in the same sector. They were less than ten miles away from the coordinates given before the radio fell silent.**

**By the time the four Allies reached the coordinates the Germans were gone and the convoy lay in smoldering ruins.**

**The two jeeps stopped and Troy hopped out of the back. He sighed and said, "Let's start looking for anyone that might be alive."**

**Moffitt gave a nod and got out of the back of the jeep. "Let's go."**

**As he and Tully headed for the wrecked trucks, they were joined by Troy's driver Hitch. When the first survivors were found, Troy was on the radio to the nearest field hospital.**

**In all there were eighteen soldiers found alive, though badly wounded. Those that could be moved were placed in the shade and given sips of water. The others were taken care of where they sat in their wrecked trucks.**

**An hour after making the call, Troy spotted a medical unit coming from the south. "They're just a few minutes out."**

**Moffitt said, "Good. There are more than a few men that can't wait much longer for plasma."**

**The three ambulances each carried medical supplies, a doctor, a nurse, and two corpsmen. Moffitt showed the doctors and nurses to their patients as he said, "There are three still in their trucks. We didn't think it safe to move them."**

**The doctor in charge nodded and said, "Jacob, take one of the nurses and go with the sergeant to check on those patients. The rest of us will get started here."**

**Hitch and Tully led Dr. Jacob Anderson and Nurse Julie Martin to the first truck where two badly wounded men were in the front seat unconscious. The nurse began IVs of plasma while the doctor checked the wounds Moffitt had dressed.**

**Tully said, "Sergeant Moffitt said the driver was complaining about back pain."**

**Dr. Anderson nodded. "We're going to need stretchers for these men. Where's the third man?"**

**Hitch pointed to another truck and said, "He's the passenger in that one. His arm was nearly blown off. We'll go for those stretchers, captain."**

**After loading the three worst wounded into an ambulance, the others were loaded according to the severity of their wounds. There would be four patients per ambulance—leaving six behind to be transported later along with a doctor, nurse, and a corpsman.**

**By the time the ambulances were on their way it was late in the day. Dr. Anderson said, "They won't be back until daylight tomorrow."**

**Troy asked, "What about the rest of the wounded?"**

"**We've got enough plasma and supplies to keep them alive overnight."**

**##################**

**As the sky darkened, Hitch and Tully got a fire going to make dinner. Moffitt was on watch, while Troy, Dr. Anderson, and Nurse Martin were resting nearby.**

**The corpsman was with the patients and called quietly, "Julie, you should check on this guy."**

**Nurse Martin replied, "I'll be right there, Willy."**

**The nurse checked on the wounded man and gave Willy some instructions. The private went to their supplies to retrieve the items asked for. As he passed by where the Dr. Anderson was sitting in one of the jeeps, the doctor asked, "Who and how bad?"**

**Willy stopped and said, "Lieutenant Morgan, captain. He's taking a turn for the worst."**

**Anderson stood up and took the bottle of plasma, penicillin, morphine, and syringes from the private. "I'll take these and check on him. Take a break and eat something. Dinner will be ready soon."**

"**Yes, sir. Thank you." Willy went to the fire and sat down and said, "Smells good."**

**Tully smiled. "Hope it tastes as good as it smells. Name's Tully Pettigrew." He indicated Hitch with a nod and said, "He's Mark Hitchcock."**

"**William Hitler. You can call me Willy. Everyone does."**

**Hitch and Tully looked at each other. Hitch asked curiously, "Do you have German ancestors?"**

**Willy nodded. "On my father's side, but my mother is Irish. I was born in Liverpool."**

**Tully hesitated, then said, "I know it's none of my business … but by chance are you related to Adolf Hitler?"**

**Willy smiled slightly. "No problem. I get asked that a lot. My father is the Führer's half-brother."**

**Hitch asked, "Have you ever met your uncle?"**

"**Yeah, he gave me a job in 1933 in the Reichskreditbank. He wanted me to relinquish my British citizenship. That's when I left Germany and never looked back."**

"**Is that when you went to the U.S.?"**

**Willy said, "I went back to England first. In 1939 William Randolph Hearst brought my mother and me to the U.S. for a lecture tour. We got stranded there when this war started."**

**Tully dished up a plate of food as Troy walked over and asked, "So you're not a U.S. citizen?" Willy shook his head. "How'd you get into the army?"**

"**I made a special request to President Roosevelt and was cleared to join the United States Army."**

**Having been listening to the conversation, Troy took the plate as he asked, "Where do you call home now?"**

**Willy replied, "Sunnyside, Queens in New York."**

**Tully filled another plate for Willy while Hitch got his own. He took a plate for himself as Troy said, "When you're done, Tully, go relieve Moffitt."**

"**Right, sarge." When Tully was finished eating, he grabbed a machine gun from the jeep and wandered out to find Moffitt slowly walking a circuit around camp. He fell into step next to the sergeant and said, "Your dinner's on the fire."**

**Moffitt smiled. "Thank you, Tully. I am rather hungry."**

"**Can I ask you something, sarge?"**

"**Of course. What is it?"**

**Tully said, "What's a Reichskreditbank?"**

**Moffitt stopped and looked at his friend. "It's the central bank of issue of Germany. It financed Germany's military expenditures during World War I. Where did you hear of it?"**

"**That corpsman. Willy's related to Adolf Hitler and the Führer gave him a job at the Reichskreditbank at one time. I figured it was some kinda bank, but wasn't sure."**

"**Interesting."**

**##################**

**The night wore on with the Rat Patrol protecting the camp while Dr. Anderson, Nurse Julie, and Private Hitler took turns watching over the wounded.**

**Willy was on duty when he noticed that one of the patients wasn't doing well at all. He woke the doctor and after a few minutes of examination, Dr. Anderson said, "I was afraid of this. We're going to have to open him up, Willy."**

"**Here? Now?"**

"**He'll never make it to the hospital if we don't. Go wake up Julie. Then get a lantern going and bring the surgical kit."**

**Troy was on watch when he saw the lantern come to life. As he started in to see what was going on, he saw Willy carrying the light over to the doctor and nurse. When he got closer, Troy saw that they were preparing for surgery. "What's going on, captain?"**

**Without looking up Anderson said, "This man needs immediate surgery if he's going to live, sergeant."**

**Troy said nothing more, but knew the lantern's light could be seen for miles. He went to wake up Hitch and Tully and instructed them to use blankets to shield the light from the desert.**

**With the sudden flurry of activity Moffitt awoke. "What's happening, Troy?"**

"**Dr. Anderson needs to do emergency surgery. I've got Hitch and Tully hiding the light from the lantern they're using."**

**Moffitt got to his feet and said, "I'll find a sheltered place to start a fire and put some water on."**

**By the time the water was hot, the doctor and nurse were ready to scrub up while Willy scurried around making sure everything was ready. After they were scrubbed and had their gloves on, Moffitt dumped the used water and rinsed the pot before refilling it to put on the fire. Then he set about making coffee.**

**After some time, Willy appeared and sat down by the fire. Moffitt poured coffee into a mug and handed it to him. "How's it going?"**

**Willy took the mug and said, "Thanks. The captain and Julie are doing everything they can, but the guy may not make it. He's bleeding internally. I heard the doc say his spleen and intestines are perforated."**

**Trying to make conversation, Moffitt asked, "What took you to America?"**

**Willy sighed. "I was born in England. My father abandoned us, but eventually wrote my mother asking her to send me to Germany. She finally agreed after I turned eighteen. I discovered he'd remarried, even though he and my mother were never divorced, and had another son they named Heinz, who is a committed Nazi. Uncle Adolf found me a job and later wanted me to give up my British citizenship in exchange for a high-ranking job."**

"**I take it you didn't want that to happen."**

"**I actually thought it was some kind of trap and returned to England. It was a newspaper magnate by the name of William Randolph Hearst who took us to the U.S. We were to do lectures around the country. Mother and I got stuck there when the war broke out."**

**Nurse Julie called, "Willy, we need another bottle of plasma!"**

**The private stood up and handed the empty mug to Moffitt. "On my way, Julie! Thanks for the coffee, sarge."**

**##################**

**The night sky was lightening up ahead of sunrise when Dr. Anderson began to stitch up his patient. Willy had spent the remainder of the night watching over the other wounded men. Troy and Moffitt had spelled Hitch and Tully holding the blankets occasionally long enough so the privates could get the feeling back into their arms and fingers. The sergeants also kept watch over their camp.**

**When the doctor was finished, Willy covered the wounded man with a blanket. "Will he make it, doc?"**

**Anderson sighed wearily, "I'm hopeful. If he makes it to the hospital, his chances will be better."**

**Troy was scanning the desert with binoculars and spotted something in the distance. He called, "Moffitt, come take a look at this."**

**The sergeant hurried over and took the glasses as he asked, "Is it the ambulances?"**

"**Nope."**

**Moffitt looked out where Troy pointed and saw a German patrol heading in their direction. "They must be returning to look for survivors."**

**Troy looked at his watch, then said, "We'd better go chase 'em off. The people from the field hospital should be on their way and we don't need the Germans around when they get here."**

**Anderson, Julie, and Willy watched as Troy called to Hitch and Tully as he and Moffitt headed for the jeeps. The doctor asked, "What's going on, sergeant?"**

**Troy replied as he climbed into the back of the jeep, "A German patrol. We're going to send them packing before your people show up."**

**And then they were gone. Willy quickly found a pair of binoculars with their supplies and hurried to watch the Rat Patrol at work.**

**##################**

**The fatigue the four Allies had been beginning to feel disappeared as soon as they were speeding across the desert to engage the enemy. Hitch and Tully expertly guided their jeeps so Troy and Moffitt could get the best bang for their buck with the 50s.**

**The Germans put up a fight, but when Hitch and Tully joined in with grenades, they chose to flee back the way they'd come from. When they were all satisfied that the patrol was well on their way, Troy ordered them back to camp.**

**Dr. Anderson walked up behind Willy and saw the jeeps approaching. He smiled and asked, "Thinking of joining the infantry, Willy?"**

**The private lowered the glasses and turned to face the other man. "No, sir. I get shot at enough without going looking for it like they do."**

"**Yes, they are quite a team."**

**##################**

**They were just finishing up a quick breakfast as the sun rose just above the horizon. Tully was on watch and called to the group, "Here comes the ambulances!"**

**Julie stood up and said, "Finally. I'll get started getting the patients ready to be moved."**

**Anderson said, "I'll give you a hand."**

**Before Willy could get up to follow, Hitch asked, "Do people give you a hard time about your last name being Hitler, Willy?"**

**He smiled a bit. "Yeah, sometimes. People want to know what it's like having Adolf Hitler for an uncle. I never really got to know him and I never plan to."**

"**So, what do you tell people?"**

**Willy said confidently, "The Führer may be family, but it's in name only."**


End file.
